Pry type cap remover



March 20, 1 951 c, c, s u 2,545,678-

PRY TYPE CAP REMOVER Filed Dec. 12, 1947 Z6 30 3/ Z6 Z7 A 7 ram/Z Y.

Patented Mar. 20, 1951 e STAT-ES PATENT v or ice Charles C. Staufler, Durham, N. 0.

Application December 12, 1947, Serial No. 791,425

1 This invention is in openers for cans, jars, and the like and more particularly for vacuum-sealed glass jars.

,"Not'withstanding many different types of food are packaged and sold in hermetically sealed jars, no satisfactory means for Opening such jars has as yet been devised. In many cases, the packers recommend that the cap be pried off with the back of a knife blade or similar fiat implement.

In practice, it is customary to use an ordinary can opener, which invariably deforms the cap. In other cases, resort is had to puncturing the cap to break the vacuum seal before the lid is re-. moved. In either case, it i impossible to reclose the container in anything approaching an airtight manner.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a simple tool especially suited for the opening of vacuum-sealed jars and other containers having removable tops.

Another object is to provide a tool for opening containers of the nature described without deforming the caps, the same being usable in reclosing the container.

Other objects will be apparent from a reading of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a simple form of the opener of my invention; and

Figure 2 shows the invention applied to a conventional can and bottle opener.

Referring to the drawings and especially to Figure 1, the opener can be seen to comprise an 2 Claims. (Cl. 81 -346) opener proper Ill and two handles II and [2, the

members being constructed of any desired sturdy and durable material, preferably steel, and preferiably of approximately inch in thickness. Member ID is flattened, and its extremity I5 is g in the nature of a recessed arc.

It will be understood that the opener of my invention is especially adapted for opening that type of container which includes a protruding annular shoulder near the top thereof and a cap having a fiat top and a skirt portion which is spaced from but adjacent the said shoulder when the cap is in place.

It is important that the radius of part l5 be such that the operating points l1 and I8 of member Ill be enabled to fit against the container benefath the lid thereof.

7 The radius should, in other words, be somewhat smaller than the radius of the neck of the average container to be opened.

In operation, the device is held inthe. hand of the, user; operating points l1 and I8 .(and .usu-

ally the edge of recess l5) are inserted beneath I the lid of the container and the device twisted by simultaneous downward pressure upon arm I I and upward pressure upon arm H2, or vice versa. The container caps will be easily removed without noticeable distortion.

Figure 2 illustrates the manner in which the invention may be applied to an openin implement of known design which includes a puncturing element 20 at one end thereof and a bottle opener 2| at the other end thereof. No additional stockis required. Such a can opener may be stamped out of the usual blank with the opener of this invention as an integral part thereof. To thi end, the opener proper 25, shaped as before explained, is recessed in the edge of the implement of Figure 2 by curving inwardly the edge portions 26 and 21 adjacent thereto, the radius of the curves 26 and 2! being larger than the radius of the average container to be opened so as not to interfere with the operation of points 30-and 3| of member 25. r

The foregoin description is in specific terms, and many modifications will suggest themselves so that for the true scope of the invention reference should be had to the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an implement adapted to remove the cap from a sealed container having a shoulder near the top thereof and a cap having a skirt portion spaced from but adjacent said shoulder, a member having two spaced relatively straight edge portions on one edge thereof, two spaced operating points for'said edge, and a web between said points of recessed arcuate formation the radius of the arc of said formation beingsmaller than the radius of the neck portion of the average container to be opened, and two additional recessed arcuate portions connectin said web with said straight portions so as substantially to align said operating points therewith, the radius of curvature of the said additional arcuate portions being larger than the capped portion of the average container to be opened.

2. In an implement adapted to remove the cap from a sealed container having a shoulder near the top thereof and a cap having a skirt portion spaced from but adjacent said shoulder, a member having two spaced relatively straight edge portions on one side thereof, two spaced operating points for said edge and a supporting web between said extremity and the container when i the implement is in operating position, and two additional recessed portions connecting said Web 3 4 with said straight edge portons so as substan- UNITED STATES PATENTS tially to align said operating points therewith and Number Name Date substantially to prevent contact between a, con- 313 Soumemian Sept 25 1866 tainer and said additional recessed and said 535 Becker u 1926 straightedge portions of said member when the 5 53: Sampson et a1 1935 plem t s in operating p sit n. 153 Sheldon m 1939 CHARLES C. STAUFFER.

FOREIGN PATENTS REFERENCES CITED Number Country Date The following references are of record in the 275,310 Italy y 3 file of this patent: 

